Community gathers around Gatesville family after tragic fire

A community has unified together to raise the spirits of one Central Texas family.

The Balch family of Gatesville suffered a great loss when the garage in their one-level home went up in flames and they lost one of their children, leaving the father, Eric Balch, and another son in critical condition at a Dallas hospital. From the very moment that tragedy struck, friends and neighbors quickly rushed to help. Those that helped got the two boys Mason and Caden, ages 2 and 5, into a close by shower to cool off the burns they suffered. The fire started when the boys were playing in the garage and knocked over a gas container that came into contact with the water heater. Six thousand dollars were raised in all, with one man from Louisiana unrelated to the Balches donating $650 of his own money alone. A group of children ranging in ages 10-12 raised $200 on their own, as aid continues to pour in.